Alaköprü Dam

BW

The Alaköprü Dam ( Turkish Alaköprü Baraji ) is an under construction dam in southern Turkey, in the province of Mersin about 12 km north of the town of Anamur.
Up to 75 million cubic meters of fresh water per year are to be routed over a distance of more than 100 km through the Mediterranean to northern Cyprus after completion by means of a pipeline from the resulting reservoir.

Development

The concept of a fresh water supply to Northern Cyprus from Turkey was created during the 1990s.
First, there had been a plan to transport drinking water by pipeline but not by a huge, drawn by tractor sacks over the sea.
This plan was discarded after a few years because of technical concerns.

As early as 1998, the concept was changed to a transport by pipeline and there was a corresponding plan designed.
The decision to build the dams and the pipeline has been adopted by a binding bilateral agreement between Turkey and northern Cyprus in July 2010.

An information evening for local residents took place on 28 October 2010.

The foundation stone was laid on 7 March 2011 in the presence of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and Prime Minister of Northern Cyprus Küçük and Turkish Prime Minister Çiçek, Günay and Eroğlu.
Celebrations were accompanied by protests in Cyprus.
Opponents fear that the project should make economically North Cyprus by Turkey dependent and increase Turkish influence on Cyprus.
The increased binding of the north to Turkey thus reinforcing the Cyprus conflict and precludes a possible unity of Cyprus.

Technical concept

Dam

North of Anamur, on the south side of the Taşeli Plateau in the Taurus Mountains, lies a vast basin, in which several mountain streams to the Dragon River ( Turkish: Dragon Çayı ), also Anamur River (Turkish Anamur Çayı ) called, unite.
The catchment area extends approximately from 36 ° 00 ' to 36 ° 30 ' north latitude and 32 ° 30 ' to 33 ° 00' east longitude, totaling more than 200 square kilometers.
About 12 km north-east of Anamur enters the Dragon River through a constriction;
here the dam is to be built.
It was named after the bridge Alaköprü (Turkish, Colorful Bridge ), which lies a few hundred meters further south.

Due to the vacuum reservoir located in the valley basin villages Traumakine, Ormancık and Sarıağaç to be partially flooded.
The exact resettlement plans for the residents there are still no detailed information, but suggestions of those affected should have the privilege.
The historic bridge Alaköprü, which was built in the 13th century by the Karamanids is not affected by the flooding itself, since it is downstream.

Line to Cyprus

The collected fresh water should be passed through a pipeline with a diameter of 1.6 meters from the shore of the Mediterranean Sea.
By the sea, which is up to 1400 m deep at this point, the pipeline will extend approximately 250 m below the water level.
Since both the material of the pipeline (HDPE ) and the freshwater is lighter than in the salt water of the sea, the pipeline with steel cables must be anchored to the seabed to prevent the pipeline from floating to the surface.

In Cyprus arrived, the water is passed through a pumping station for temporary storage in the Geçitköy Dam near Girne which is due for completion around the time of the Alaköprü Dam.
From here the water is to be distributed, with about 15 % will be processed in a water plant near Lefkosia to drinking water, the remaining 85 % of the agricultural irrigation of Mesarya - level are intended.